Concise Garden Wildlife Guide Read online

HABITAT

  Widespread around houses and outbuildings in northern Europe. Sometimes found in rabbit hutches, hence its name.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Females found all year, males only in summer–autumn. Males have ridges and teeth under the carapace and abdomen, with which they create sounds to attract females.

  Toothed Weaver

  Textrix denticulata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 6–7mm. Male and female are similar in size and appearance. Spinnerets (glands that spin silk threads), located at the base of the abdomen, are especially prominent.

  HABITAT

  Widespread throughout northern Europe, both in open countryside and homes.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Females are seen throughout the year, males in summer only. Often seen running over warm ground in summer. Web is a triangular sheet with a tunnel-like retreat at the apex.

  Red-and-white Cobweb Weaver

  Enoplognatha ovata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 3–6mm. Very pale brown thorax. Abdomen is creamy with two pink bands (as shown), a single broad pink band or no band, but always with pairs of black dots. Male is smaller than female and has a smaller abdomen. Also called Candy-stripe Spider.

  HABITAT

  Low vegetation and bushes.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flimsy three-dimensional web has sticky outer sections for trapping small insects. Female guards her bluish egg sac beneath a leaf, which is often rolled. Maturity is reached in summer.

  Hammock Sheet-weaver

  Linyphia triangularis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 5–6.6mm. Female’s abdomen is roughly triangular in profile, and pale in colour with brown triangular marks down the centre. Male’s abdomen is slimmer and lacks any triangular marks.

  HABITAT

  Widespread in Europe wherever there are trees or other plants with stiff foliage.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Adults seen midsummer–late autumn. Slings a hammock-like web in bushes, then hangs beneath the web and waits for insects to fall into it.

  Lace Weaver Spider

  Amaurobius similis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 9–12mm (f), 6–8mm (m). Colour of abdomen varies from green to brown, and contains dark marks.

  HABITAT

  Common and widespread near human habitation across Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Female found throughout most of the year, but male seen only in late summer–autumn. Spins a lace-like web across a small hole or crevice in which it hides. Web can have a scruffy and patchy appearance.

  Downy Jumper

  Sitticus pubescens

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 4–5mm. Dull brown in colour, but with light patches and covered with light hairs. Sexes are similar, but male has a smaller abdomen than female. Like Zebra Spider (opposite) and other jumping spiders, has two very large forwards-facing eyes; the six other eyes are smaller.

  HABITAT

  Usually near human habitation. Widespread but localized across northern Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Hunts prey by stalking and leaping upon it. Jumps well. Its very good eyesight enables it to work out how far to jump to reach its prey. Jumping spiders rarely spin webs.

  Zebra Spider

  Salticus scenicus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 5–7mm. Hairy, and black with variable white marks (hence the common name). Legs are greyish. Short front legs and extremely large eyes. Male is smaller than female.

  HABITAT

  Widespread throughout northern Europe. Often found on walls and fences near human habitation.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Adults evident May–August. Stalks prey using its keen eyesight, which enables it to detect movement as much as 30cm away, then leaps upon it. Active in warm weather, especially in sunshine.

  Fillet Sac Spider

  Clubiona comta

  Length 3–6mm. Pale brown thorax and legs. Brown abdomen with creamy markings. Male is slightly smaller than female. Common in northern Europe in any habitat with trees and bushes. Found spring–summer. Nocturnal hunter that spends the daytime hidden in silken cells under stones, among vegetation or under bark.

  Spotted Wolf Spider

  Pardosa amentata

  Length 5.5–8mm. Dark and variably patterned. Male is smaller than female. Widespread in northern Europe in low-growing vegetation and on open ground. Female seen spring–autumn; male disappears after midsummer. Female carries eggs in a silken sac attached to her spinnerets. When the young spiders hatch, they climb onto her back and are carried for a short time.

  Nursery-web Spider

  Pisaura mirabilis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 10–15mm. Sexes are similar, but male is smaller than female and has a narrower abdomen. Colours vary from yellow to brown, with markings that may be very clear or even absent.

  HABITAT

  Widespread in grassland, heathland, woodland and gardens across northern Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Seen in summer. Diurnal hunter. Runs swiftly and suns itself on plants. Female carries her egg-cocoon with her fangs. She later spins a silken tent over it, then stands guard until the young disperse.

  Water Spider

  Argyroneta aquatica

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 15mm. Brown and rather mouse-like.

  HABITAT

  Ponds, lakes, dykes and sluggish streams across Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Builds a diving bell by trapping air in the middle of a sheet-like web spun among pond plants underwater. Visits the surface and collects air between the hairs on its abdomen, releasing this into the diving bell by stroking the hairs on its back legs. Lives in the bell, leaving it only to hunt for food such as small fish, tadpoles and other pond life. May spend winter sealed inside an old snail’s shell.

  Woodlouse Spider

  Dysdera crocata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 15mm (f), 10mm (m). Fleshy-brown thorax and legs. Abdomen whitish. Male is slightly smaller than female, and has a narrower abdomen.

  HABITAT

  Found under stones, logs and other material in gardens and slightly damp habitats. Widespread in Europe except Scandinavia.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Found all year round. Feeds on woodlice, which it catches and crushes with its fangs. Nocturnal, spending the day under cover in a silken cell, in which its eggs are laid.

  Leopard Spider

  Segestria senoculata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 7–10mm. Black head, and pale legs and abdomen. Male resembles female, but has a smaller abdomen.

  HABITAT

  Lives in holes in walls and bark throughout Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Adults seen spring–autumn. Hides within holes from which about a dozen silky trip-wires spread out. When prey disturbs the threads, it dashes out of its hole to grab it.

  Flower Spider

  Misumena vatia

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 10mm (f), 5mm (m). Female is white, yellow or greenish with reddish stripes on each side of her abdomen (although these may be absent). Male has dark brown stripes on his abdomen, and two dark brown front pairs of legs.

  HABITAT

  Flowery areas. Widespread in northern Europe, but more common in southern part of its range.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Seen in summer. Sits in white and yellow flowers waiting in ambush for prey. Crab spiders do not spin webs.

  Common Crab Spider

  Xysticus cristatus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 3–8mm. Abdomen has triangular markings; patterns are variable. Female may be almost twice the size of male. Like other crab spiders, it moves with a rather crab-like sideways gait.

  HABITAT

 
Widespread throughout northern Europe in bushes and low plants, and on the ground.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Seen spring and summer. Hunts by lying in wait on flowers and pouncing on insect prey. Well camouflaged.

  Daddy-long-legs Spider

  Pholcus phalangioides

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 7–10mm. Cylindrical abdomen and very long legs, reaching 40mm in length. Pale yellowish-grey in colour.

  HABITAT

  Inhabits rooms and cellars in buildings, and also caves, across central and southern Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Female seen year round, male only spring–summer. Hangs upside-down from a flimsy web in which it catches flies and other spiders. Prey is trapped by having thread spun over it. When disturbed, the spider vibrates rapidly and spins to confuse predators.

  Common Harvestman

  Phalangium opilio

  Length 5–8mm. Greyish or yellowish with a pure white underside. Legs are very long and thin. Female is slightly larger than male. Found anywhere in Europe that has dense vegetation. Nocturnal feeder on other small invertebrates. Overwinters as an egg and matures in late summer.

  Harvestman

  Opilio parietinus

  Length 5–9mm. A brown or greyish harvestman with darker bands and sometimes a pale stripe down the back. Female may have a saddle-like mark on her back. Underside is off-white with brown spots. Brown legs are long and hair-like. Found on tree trunks, bushes and rough grasses across Europe except far north. Especially common around human habitation. Feeds on small invertebrates. Often seen on walls and fences.

  European Harvestman

  Leiobunum rotundum

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 7mm (f), 4mm (m). Female has an oval pale brown body with an almost rectangular patch on the back. Male has a rusty-brown circular body with a black eye-turret on the back. Legs are long and very thin. Length of second leg can reach 5cm. Female is almost twice as large as male. One of 23 British harvestman species.

  HABITAT

  Dense vegetation throughout most of Europe except far north and far south.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on small invertebrates. Often seen resting by day on walls and tree trunks. Harvestmen differ from spiders in lacking poison glands, being unable to produce silk and having a single button-like body.

  Harvestman

  Nemastoma bimaculatum

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 2.5mm. A harvestman that has a small and rotund body with relatively short legs compared with other harvestman species. Mainly black in colour with two white to pale yellow patches behind the head.

  HABITAT

  Moss and vegetable debris in shaded habitats such as woods and hedgerows. Occurs in most of Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Found throughout the year. Predates on small creatures that it can overpower.

  Common Newt

  Triturus vulgaris

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 7–11cm. Breeding male develops a wavy crest along the neck, back and tail, and has a bright orange belly with black spots. Smaller female is less clearly marked, lacks a crest and has a paler belly.

  HABITAT

  Damp places in many habitats. Found across Europe except far north and far south.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats insects, caterpillars, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, tadpoles and slugs. Adults enter the water February–March, leaving it June–July to hibernate in October. Pairs perform complex displays in the water. Lifespan up to 20 years.

  Crested Newt

  Triturus cristatus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 11–16cm. Large, colourful and warty. Upper part dark brown or slaty-black. Underside bright orange-yellow spotted with black. Breeding males develop a ragged crest along the back and another on the tail.

  HABITAT

  Breeds in lowland water bodies such as clay pits, reservoirs, ditches and ponds, preferring pools 30–100cm deep. Occurs throughout Europe except Ireland, Iberia and northern Scandinavia.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Hunts invertebrates and frog tadpoles at night. Enters the water mid-March, and remains until July–August. Hibernation begins October. Eggs are laid on leaves. Larvae metamorphose in four months, and adults are sexually mature at three years. Lifespan up to 27 years.

  Common Toad

  Bufo bufo

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 8–15cm. Skin warty and usually orange-brown or olive. Female is larger than male. Walks and hops.

  HABITAT

  Lives in a range of habitats, but usually found in damp places. Absent from Ireland, northern Scandinavia and the Mediterranean islands.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Insects, larvae, spiders, worms and slugs are grabbed by the long and sticky, prehensile tongue. Emerges from hibernation to enter water February–March. Hibernates again in October. Male clings to female’s back and fertilizes the ribbons of 600–4,000 eggs as she releases them. Toadlets leave pond late July–August. Lifespan up to 40 years.

  Edible Frog

  Rana esculenta

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 11cm. Colour ranges from mainly green to mainly brown. Generally a number of dark spots on the back and flanks, with long back legs often having dark bands. Usually a straw-yellow or lime-green line running along the centre of the back. Underside mottled pale white to yellow and black.

  HABITAT

  Highly aquatic and occurs in a variety of waterways. Widespread across much of mainland Europe. Naturalized in Britain.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Very active during the day; enjoys basking even in the hottest sun. Tadpoles can grow very large (up to 4cm), because they overwinter, metamorphosing into frogs the following spring.

  Common Frog

  Rana temporaria

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 6–8cm. Smoother skin and longer hindlegs than Common Toad. Hindlegs are short compared with those of other frogs. Colour and pattern vary. Snout is rounded and the large black eyes are surrounded by gold flecked with brown. Moves with a springing leap.

  HABITAT

  Widespread in moist shady habitats, from northern Spain to the North Cape. Absent from Iceland, Orkney and Shetland.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Snails, slugs, worms, woodlice, beetles and flies are flicked into the wide mouth by its long tongue. Hibernates in pond mud or rotting vegetation on land. Lays up to 1,400 eggs. Tadpoles metamorphose into froglets in 12 weeks, and they stay near water until hibernating October–November. Sexually mature in three years. Lifespan up to eight years.

  Diet includes animals that may be harmful to garden plants, such as slugs and snails

  Viviparous Lizard

  Lacerta vivipara

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 10–16cm. Tail may be twice the body length. Skin has obvious scales and a variable pattern. Female usually has a stripe down the middle of her back. Pale spots on the back are more obvious in male than female. Pale underside is orange in some males.

  HABITAT

  Occurs across Europe to the Alps and northern Spain. In south lives in damp places at up to about 3,000m; in north occurs in open areas such as overgrown and secluded gardens.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Hunts by day using sight and scent. Prey includes spiders, insects and small snails. Hibernates October–March. Young develop in thin membranous eggs inside female’s body. Eggs are laid June–September, with young ‘hatching’ immediately. Lifespan up to 12 years.

  Common Wall lizard

  Podarcis muralis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 18–20cm. Tail can be more than twice the body length. Longer and more pointed head than Viviparous Lizard’s (opposite). Colours vary from brownish or greyish to greenish.

  HABITAT

  Found on walls and tree trunks. Occurs from northern Spain, across France
and Italy, to the Balkans and Greece.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on small invertebrates. Lives in colonies. Hibernates November–February, except in warmer places. The 2–10 eggs are laid in a hole dug in the ground, and hatch July–September. Lifespan up to seven years.

  Slow-worm

  Anguis fragilis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 30–52cm. A legless lizard with a round head and smooth-scaled body. Brownish, but blue may show on older individuals.

  HABITAT

  Meadows, woodland margins, gardens and cemeteries, from Britain and western Spain to Russia and southern Scandinavia.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Hunts slow-moving invertebrates, usually early in the morning or in the evening. Mating takes place April–June. The 6–12 young develop inside female for 3–5 months, before being born August–September. Lifespan up to 50 years.

  Grass Snake

  Natrix natrix

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 70–150cm. Slender pale snake with a distinct head and dark marks on either side of its neck. Mouth looks curved. Female is bigger than male.

  HABITAT

  Lowland hedgerows, woodland margins, heaths, moorland, water meadows, gravel pits and gardens. Found in England and Wales across continental Europe, except far north and far south.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats frogs, fish, tadpoles, newts, mice, voles and birds. Swims well. Hibernates October–March in holes, crevices and manure heaps. Mating takes place April–May; 8–40 eggs are laid June–early August in manure heaps, haystacks, compost heaps or rotting logs. Eggs hatch August–September. Lifespan up to 25 years.